Clarence Town Cobras coach Peter Maytrom could be tempted to skip the final 40 minutes in his video review of his team's 28-10 loss to Hinton.
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The only thing that prevented an error-laden Cobras from a second-half drubbing was the Hornets’ equal ineptitude in controlling the ball.
The only score in the second-half came from a kick which looked like it would clear the Clarence Town Oval boundary fence until it hit one of the uprights and bounced back into the hands of Hinton’s five-eighth who ran in for a try next to the posts.
“The first half was quite OK. The second half was one jagged try and a series of dropped balls,” Maytrom said.
“We both played terribly. It was a drop-a-thon in the second half.
“We’d shoot ourselves in the foot by dropping the ball, but no sooner had they taken possession than they dropped it and it went on and on.”
Like many horror stories, it all started so differently with Hinton showing attacking enterprise to score the first two tries in the opening 10 minutes and the Cobras fighting hard to get themselves back into the game.
“They scored two early tries. Both times they visited our end they made us pay and they were good tries,” Maytrom said.
“The first was one of their players running in off a good off-load and the second was former Maitland Pickers player Mitchell Steel running a great line.
“They stretched it out to 18-0, but we weren’t playing so bad. It was them just taking full advantage of their opportunities with really good play.
“We scored twice which brought it back to 18-10 and they got a try out wide to make it 22-10 at half-time.”
And then began the second-half, an episode best forgotten.
Abermain defeat Paterson River
A try double for Paterson River hooker Dean Jones wasn’t enough for The Rivers to overcome Abermain, who ran out 30-18 winners on Saturday at Paterson Sportsground.
Lock Rhyan Winkler crossed for Paterson’s other try and Nathan Davey converted his three shots on goal,
However, the Hawks led by their forwards were able to cross for six tries to move into third spot on the ladder.
The loss leaves The Rivers in ninth spot ahead of the Cobras and regraded teams Morpeth Bulls and the Maitland Pickers at the bottom of the table.
All 12 teams are still very much in the hunt for the eight-team finals series.
C GRADE
- East Maitland 76 defeated Maitland Pickers 6
- Waratah-Mayfield 28 defeated Stroud 10
- Gloucester 48 defeated Stockton 14
- Abermain 30 defeated Paterson River 18
- Morpeth 30 defeated Wallsend-Maryland 12
- Hinton 28 defeated Clarence Town 10
